


Set On You

by shifty_cat



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akira and Makoto are both all up in their own heads, F/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-27
Updated: 2020-07-27
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:41:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25552990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shifty_cat/pseuds/shifty_cat
Summary: Akira takes some time alone with his thoughts in the bathhouse.
Relationships: Amamiya Ren/Niijima Makoto, Kurusu Akira/Niijima Makoto, Niijima Makoto/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 14
Kudos: 97





	Set On You

**Author's Note:**

> But it's gonna take Charm  
> A whole lotta grinding Charm  
> It's gonna take Debonair Charm  
> To do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it, to do it right

_Apparently, um... she thinks you look a little lame... She told me that my boyfriend isn't in the same league as her Tsukasa... I was going to disagree, but you are a bit disheveled at times..._

Akira sank into the mugwort bath with a groan. Normally, his Monday and Thursday evening ritual was a welcome relief from his busy (if irregular) schedule, one of the only times he could relax and think without interruption from Morgana. Well, he sure had plenty to think about tonight, but didn't expect to be doing much relaxing, even if all they could do for the moment was wait for Futaba to recover from the shock of Awakening and hope she could do something about Medjed. 

He had been amazed by Makoto from the moment she Awakened, the serious and reserved student council president revealing a side of herself that was deeply impressive (and more than a little intimidating). Of course he was glad to have someone responsible on the team, particularly one who could keep Ryuji and Morgana in line, but over time he began to realize what the unfamiliar feeling of warmth and lightness whenever they spent time together meant, which raised some uncomfortable questions.

He _definitely_ had a crush on Queen. Ann had noticed it long before he had, judging by her knowing smirks whenever he resisted the urge to stare at her in the Metaverse. Figuring out if she reciprocated his feelings was the hard part. She was difficult to read, keeping a tight rein on her emotions outside the Metaverse. Even if some of the signals he picked up from her seemed positive, he worried that it could just be wishful thinking on his part.

Their first time hanging out together at the arcade certainly _felt_ like a date, and she seemed as happy to spend time together as he was. Seeing her relax a bit felt amazing, and there was a certain swell of pride at her being so comfortable with him. There seemed to be a bit of alluring tension for a moment when she asked him to help her again, that he thought (well... hoped) might mean she wasn't just interested in increasing her knowledge and helping the team.

Their plans for further outings together had been sidelined when they found one of their classmates working at a salon in Shinjuku, which was... fine. Makoto's firm sense of Justice was something he both admired about her, and felt a peculiar connection to. If she sensed wrongdoing, he would support her in her investigation. Besides, it was nice seeing her make a friend, and discussing the Eiko Situation had given them a chance to get to know each other a bit better. 

Things got complicated, though, when Eiko started dating a host, and Makoto asked him to play the role of her fake boyfriend to investigate him. While the obligatory "fake" grated, the thought was strangely exciting, and he found himself hoping that she would enjoy the experience so much that she would want him to play the role of her Real Boyfriend. When he asked her about their planned double date a couple days later, though, the bomb dropped.

He didn't particularly care what Eiko thought about him (he couldn't have survived Shujin if he put too much stock in other people's opinions of him), but Makoto agreeing that he was "a bit disheveled at times" hurt. There was no malice in how she said it, only a hint of disappointment, which made it much, much worse. For as well as they seemed to get along, both as Thieves and in their daily lives, he had apparently misread her signals, and wasn't up to her standards.

What hurt the most, though, was that she was right, she was entirely out of his league. Makoto was... well, "incredible" was an understatement. She was brilliant and powerful, with the drive to succeed in anything she pursued. He was a pariah, with a criminal record that would follow him everywhere and ensure that everyone he met would see him as a delinquent first. He didn't _have_ a future, and getting involved with him could only hold her back.

_To think that thou who wouldst rage against Fate should so easily lose heart._

Well, so much for being alone with his thoughts. With a heavy roll of his eyes, Akira leaned back, softly clunking his head against the back wall. _Hi, Arsene._

_What manner of gentleman thief art thou, that thine resolve fold as paper?_

Akira closed his eyes and splashed hot water in his face. _It isn't about my 'resolve'. It's about what she wants. And it looks like that isn't me._

Arsene sent a bitter laugh ringing through his soul. _What foolishness. An offhand word casts thy spirit into despair? Thine was never the path of ease. No great treasure shall come without great works._

Frustration at his inner self mounting, Akira opened his eyes and glared off into space. _What's that supposed to mean? This isn't dueling other suitors or 'defending her honor.' I'm not even good enough to be her fake boyfriend._

Arsene regarded him disdainfully. _Indeed, I find thee quite lacking. But why so? The Priestess is a lady of exacting standards. If thou wouldst woo her, become one who is worthy of her affections._ With that, he took his leave from Akira's consciousness.

Well shit, when he put it like that...

Akira had been on something of a self-improvement kick since he came to Tokyo. Being thrown into a leadership position he never expected, he felt a pressure to use every day to grow in some way, to become the person the team needed, both in the Metaverse and in each of their lives. While his personal growth included the occasional giant burger challenge (self-care is praxis), much of his time was spent learning from his Confidants, his various part time jobs, and the pile of books accumulating on his desk.

_How to Win Friends and Influence People_ seemed like kind of a no-brainer as a starting point, considering the nature of his powers. Advice like "become genuinely interested in other people, be a good listener, talk in terms of the other person's interest" all seemed fine, if a bit obvious (always somewhat quiet, being a good listener came pretty naturally), and were generally effective, but he felt more than a little conflicted about knowingly utilizing strategies to get people to like him. 

While the book emphasized the importance of sincerity and genuine interest, he knew well enough that many people couldn't readily distinguish between sincerity and the glib charm of a sociopath, and techniques that enabled one to feign genuine interest could be dangerous in the wrong hands. This was hardly a theoretical concern for him. With powers that depended on the bonds he formed with other people, he was constantly mindful of whether he was befriending them legitimately, or for his own selfish interests.

He had hated every miserable fucking page of that book on "The Game" and social dynamics he picked up on a whim. The crux was to increase your perceived social value and reduce that of your "target" (he refused to call someone approached like that a partner), getting them to desire you because they view you as having higher status value than them. Well fuck that, he would rather Makoto ignore him entirely than get with him because she thought he was better than her.

Getting used to the idea that sometimes the best advice came at unexpected times, he recalled a snippet from a magazine Ann "happened to be reading out loud" before a recent meeting. "List the qualities of your ideal partner, then work to embody those things yourself. You can't just sit back and expect them to be attracted to you if you don't put in the effort to be the good things you want in them." Well, what exactly did he find so attractive about Makoto? "Everything," while accurate, wasn't a productive answer.

Her intelligence? Definitely high on the list. He was constantly impressed by the breadth and scope of her knowledge, and found how articulate she was in their discussions strangely exciting. While he wasn't quite at her level, he was taking his education seriously, and fitting in time to study at the diner (the addition of Frui-Tea to the menu was a welcome relief from the summer heat) as often as possible when he didn't have work to do with his Confidants.

Her athleticism? While not as obvious as her mental prowess, he couldn't deny the thrill he got whenever she exploded Shadows with her fists, and he wasn't exactly proud of the number of times he caught himself idly thinking about her toned body and her firm, tight b... not now, not when he was sitting in a bath with a bunch of old men. Anyway, he and Mona had been hitting the gym, and he was starting to build a bit of muscle, but maybe he could train with her sometime...

Her leadership? He felt, at times, that she was more of a leader to the Thieves than he was. Her planning and strategy gave the team a sense of direction they had previously lacked. He had considered officially passing his title to her, but he knew what a burden it was, and she seemed to prefer working with him as partners over his deferring to her expertise. Instead, he was working to be the better, more reliable leader she and all of them deserved.

Her sense of Justice? Bingo. Even before she joined them, the look in her eyes when she demanded they prove their Justice had lit a fire in him. Now that she was one of them, her deep, thoughtful ethics and her underlying sense of intense compassion gave them all an ideological core that elevated the meaning and importance of everything they did. His own Justice was more instinctual, but she had him thinking more about what it meant, and his developing ethics were coming to be a central part of who he was.

Toranosuke Yoshida had said that the most important part of giving a good speech was believing in yourself. You needed a firm sense of your own ideals to confidently express them, and the confidence you projected was what drew others to your cause. It was easy enough to be confident in the Metaverse. There, he had power, he had a team and a sense of the value of what they were all working together to achieve. Translating that confidence into the real world wasn't so easy.

Reconciling his identity as Joker with his everyday life was an ongoing process. He knew Joker was a part of him, but seeing the gentleman thief in himself was a challenge when he was keeping his head down and desperately hoping to stay out of trouble. Joker was confident, charming, and playful. Akira was currently soaking in a bathhouse, bemoaning his fate after the girl he liked called him "a bit disheveled at times."

Why, though? Since Joker _was_ a part of him, he should be able to tap into that reserve of confidence and charm. Makoto did have a tendency to bring out his playful side, and while she had been a bit annoyed with some of his teasing, the faint hint of a blush whenever he did was irresistable. Well, if she needed him to be charming enough to impress Eiko, calling upon his Joker persona might just do it.

Feeling a lot more like he could do this, he stood confidently, with his hands on his hips, drawing a few raised eyebrows from the old men sharing the bathhouse with him. Morgana met him in the changing room with an impressed purr. "You were in there for quite a long time. That heat must have gotten your blood flowing. Your skin's glowing too. So handsome..."

Akira gave him a thoroughly Jokery smirk. "I hope so."

_taptaptaptaptaptaptap_

Makoto tapped her pen in frustration on the edge of her notebook as she tried to focus on her studies. Why why _why_ had she said that to Akira? Why did she _care_ what Eiko thought, when her own potentially questionable relationship choices were exactly why they were in this situation in the first place? _So what_ if he was a bit disheveled at times? She _wanted_ Akira to be her boyfriend... _fake_! Her _fake_ boyfriend. She leaned back in her chair with a groan. God, what was she _doing_?

She never had thoughts like this before she met him, but was quickly realizing that she was getting more than she bargained for when she asked him to help her broaden her horizons. Akira was... definitely something special. Normally thoughtful and soft spoken, he could turn on a dime into the entirely too charming and playful Joker. While his teasing could be a bit annoying at times, she had to admit that it was in large part due to the way he managed to fluster her in a... not entirely unpleasant way.

Joker's commanding presence and facility for using his powers in the Metaverse were certainly impressive, but far more admirable was Akira's capacity to give his time, to be a reliable friend and confidant to all of the Thieves, and to everyone else he helped. Sis always said that if she got married, her husband should be someone dependable like that... Wait, _what_?! She buried her face in her hands with a ferocious blush. What was she _thinking_? Why did her mind keep betraying her like this?

While she didn't exactly have much experience in... such matters, she was beginning to come to the conclusion that she might... _possibly_... have a bit of a crush on Akira. Not that it mattered. She couldn't see herself having much of a chance against Ann, who was clearly both more attractive and _much_ more fun than her, and who certainly seemed interested in him, considering the number of times she asked her what she thought about him. She sighed with a bitter frown. She wouldn't let her jealousy come between the two of them finding happiness, or interfere with the Thieves' operations.

Of course, it was all theoretical at this point. Even if he wasn't interested in Ann (which seemed vanishingly unlikely), she must certainly have driven him off by insulting him to his face when he was only trying to help her. She laid her head on her notebook with a groan of despair. He had invested so much of his own time into helping _her_ with her stupid investigation, and how had she repaid him? By telling him he wasn't good enough to _pretend_ to be her boyfriend.

She propped herself up with her elbows on the desk, feeling the pricks of tears tugging at the corners of her eyes. Who was _she_ to criticize him? He was brave, and charming, and compassionate. She was... a robot (she felt the hint of a bittersweet smile as she heard his insufferable "beep boop" in her mind). 

_Do not lose hope, Priestess. Surely your Fool is not so faint of heart as to be undone by an offhand word._

Makoto sat bolt upright, eyes wide. _Johanna?_

Johanna sent a gentle, comforting smile through her. _Of course, my Priestess. I am always with you._

Makoto shook her head sadly. _I still wish I hadn't said it. It was thoughtless and cruel, and he deserves so much better._

Johanna's presence felt like a gentle brush against her cheek. _We all have regrets, Priestess. It is in how we redress our sins that our character is confirmed. Your contrition is sincere, and you will be forgiven._

Makoto gave her inner self a conflicted frown. _But... even if Akira doesn't take it too badly, I can't imagine that he would want... me..._

Johanna laughed musically within her. _Look to your heart, Makoto Niijima. There you will find your answer._ Like a warm embrace, she dissolved back into Makoto's consciousness.

Wiping her eyes with a sigh, Makoto resolved to do the one thing she was really confident in, and thought seriously and critically about all of her interactions with Akira. She recalled how he lit up after their excursion to the arcade, when she asked him to spend time with her again. His words when she first asked him to play the role of her boyfriend. "Only if I can take it seriously." While she had (of course) assumed that he simply meant that he was serious about helping Eiko, maybe there was another interpretation...

She remembered the fight against Cognitive Wakaba, when he dove in front of a falling pillar to save her. She knew he would have done the same for any of them, but the way he held her, the way he looked at her for that moment in his arms, concern and relief in his expression, but something else... a spark and a longing in his eyes, like there was something else he wanted to say or to do, but couldn't quite...

Overcome by a very unfamiliar and very urgent need that entirely overwhelmed any desire to return to studying, Makoto lay on her bed, slipping a hand under the top of her Buchimaru-kun pajamas to lightly caress her breast, as she remembered the feeling of comfort and safety when he held her in his arms. Did it mean as much to him as it did to her? As her other hand slipped under the waistband of her pajama pants, she hoped so.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to ARandomBoombox and CheerfulSunsinger over at the Church of Makoto for some excellent discussions of Makoto and Akira.


End file.
